


Fiji

by DaniPayson



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 18:50:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17903588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniPayson/pseuds/DaniPayson
Summary: This is just a little piece that came to me this morning to be a continuation from the Valentine's Day story I wrote now centering around Scully's forty-fourth birthday.





	Fiji

February 23, 1980  
“At least your birthday isn’t six days before Halloween.” Melissa said as she sat at the end of my twin bed.  
“It’s just a day like any other.” I replied as I sat at my small desk and opened my chemistry book, “I also have a chem test on Monday morning I’d really like to focus on.”  
“But you’re sixteen! Don’t you want to go out? Have fun? CELEBRATE” Melissa grabbed the end of the hard wood chair I sat in and begin to shake it, causing me to shake and drop my pen on the floor.  
“No.” I replied leaning over to pick up my fallen Bic, “My focus right now is acing this test, graduating high school so I can get on with my life.”  
“But you went out last night.”  
“Yes, because that was a pre-arranged date night. I didn’t agree to do anything today other than study.”  
“Well, what did you do?”  
“Dinner at Friendly’s and then we went to the movies.”  
“What did you see?”  
“American Gigolo.”  
“Isn’t that rated R?”  
“Yes, but Steve’s brother works at the theater so he let us in.”  
“Ooooh look at you breaking the law.”  
Rolling my eyes, I turned my book to page sixty-six and placed the pen in the middle to not lose it in case Melissa decided to start another earthquake with my chair.  
“Well, how was it?”  
Shrugging I looked up at my older sister, “It was ok. Dark, but Richard Gere is pretty hot.”  
Melissa nodded, “So, all you did was dinner and a movie.”  
“Yes, but if I did do more, I wouldn’t tell you.”  
“Why not?” Melissa sulked as she sat back on the end of my bed, “You used to tell me everything.”  
“Yes, but then you told mom about that time I took the cigarettes from her purse and I was grounded for a month.”  
“That was a year ago.”  
“Still, but no. I have no time for that anyway.”  
“Dana, where do you see yourself in ten years?”  
“Medical school.” I answered quickly as this wasn’t the first time I was asked this specific question.  
“Ok, twenty years.”  
“I’ll be thirty-six, probably living in a penthouse in New York City.”  
“Alone?”  
“I might have a dog…”  
“But, no husband?”  
Shrugging again I looked at my sister and thought about how her heart was so big and so pure and how much it had been broken. She was almost two years older than me but sometimes I felt like she was so much older. So much more mature. Like an old soul. “It’s not my primary focus.”  
“But Steve is a sweet guy and I know he adores you.”  
“But I think he also knows we have different paths. I like going to dinner and the movies, but I don’t really see a future with him. I refuse to decide which direction my life will take based on the actions of another.”  
“You’ve always been so independent.”  
“You have to be in this family.” I said picking up my pen, “If the right guy comes around, I’ll know it. I’ll feel it and I’ll do what I know is right.”  
Melissa nodded before getting up from my bed, “I just hope you don’t wait too long.”  
February 23, 2008  
After a week in Fiji, you become very accustomed to waking up to the sounds of birds chirping as they announce the day. My eyes heavy as they opened to the netting around the large king-sized bed, I had slept a full uninterrupted eight hours. At least. A smile formed upon my face as I sat up to see the man, I loved more than I could ever fully express with words wearing a white terrycloth robe and walking towards me holding a tray of what had to be the most delicious smelling freshly baked croissants I could have ever imagined.  
Covering myself with the sheet as clothing had become extremely optional on this trip, I watched as he placed the tray over my legs and got into the bed next to me.  
“Fresh orange juice, strawberries, pineapple and croissants.” He said, “For all inclusive the breakfast menu is pretty limited.”  
“This is perfect.” I said picking up a strawberry and biting into it, the sweet tartness being just the extra little jolt I needed to fully wake up, “The last week has been perfect.”  
“I’m glad.” He replied adjusting himself closer to me as I picked at the flaky crust one of one of the two croissants.”   
“Did you really go get this in your robe?”  
“God no.” he replied, “I called and they brought it over. You woke up not a minute after they left.”  
“Good.” I replied, “So what’s on the agenda today?”  
After flying in on the 15th, we arrived on the 16th having lost a day due to the time change and were passed out by five pm. Only to awaken at three am where thankfully room service was always available and we dined on fresh fish and vegetables until falling back asleep only a few hours later. The next week was spent getting certified in scuba diving only to have one successful dive and realize that being eye to eye with sea creatures really wasn’t our forte, but at least we tried something new.  
I had never really had a real vacation. Aside from the years where we were essentially in hiding, which came with its own anxiety, I never really just took time to do…nothing. No plan. No deadline. No worries. The feeling of total and complete relaxation was new, and a bit frightening, but given I had gotten more sleep in the last week than I did in the last year I really couldn’t find an issue with it.  
“No agenda. It’s your day.” Mulder replied stealing a chunk of pineapple from my plate, “If you just want to stay in bed and do nothing…. or stay in bed and do everything…it’s all ok with me.”  
“The double shower, the spa bathtub.”  
“They also have board games…we could always play Monopoly or Scrabble.”  
“I’d kick your ass in Scrabble.”  
“And I’d love to watch you do it.”  
Smiling, something I had done a lot over the last week, I broke the second croissant in half and handed the bigger piece to Mulder, “Should I start expecting this treatment every February?”  
“Until you decide to get rid of me.”  
“I have no plans to do such a thing.” I replied honestly a bit hurt that after all this time he would even bring up the idea of me leaving him, “Not if I have these pampering vacations to look forward to.”  
His smile was genuine, but I could sense true fear behind it. He seemed to always believe that he could never truly be happy. That he didn’t deserve to be happy. There was always trust between us, but I could feel the distress as well. My words always seem to ring hollow, and after everything which had happened the month prior, I understood where he was coming from, but every morning I was still here. I wasn’t going anywhere. I just wish he believed that.  
“I’m going to go take a shower, you finish your breakfast and decide what you want to do today.” He said before gently kissing me on the forehead and getting out of the warm bed.  
I watched as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. My upper teeth digging into my lower lip as I picked at the rest of my croissant and listened to the sound of the water starting. All I wanted was to be happy. All I wanted was to be wanted and to be loved. All I wanted was him.  
Quickly finishing off the rest of the French pastry, I removed the tray from my lap and climbed out of the large bed. Shivers of pain coursed through my body as my feet hit the cold hard floor and I scurried to the bathroom which had already filled with steam as I opened the door and quickly closed it behind me.  
Even though we had been together for so long and I was well aware of nearly every inch of it, I still found myself staring at his body in amazement. Many men let themselves go as they age, but at forty-six Mulder was becoming more toned. His washboard abs more defined as they were moving from a six pack to an eight pack. A small moan/groan escaped my lips as I watched him run his fingers through his wet hair and his biceps flexed while working the shampoo into a lather. Before I even had the chance to place my hand on the shower door handle, the door swung open and a smile slowly crept upon his face.  
“You know, it’s rude to stare.” He said as the smile grew larger.  
I nodded as he backed into the shower, giving me plenty of room to step in and close the glass door behind me. Running my palms down his chest and back up, I then wrapped them around his neck as he lowered his head to mine; his lips hot and fierce and his hands were on my ass, lifting me to the correct position before turning and propping my back against the tile wall and as his tongue dove between my lips his cock entered me. My muscles instantly welcoming the quick entrance and just as quickly began to tighten and constrict around his cock and I felt the wave of my orgasm come over me. He began to thrust harder as the waves continued to crash and just as they ended, they started again. I screamed in pleasure as my nails dug into his back, my legs tightened around his ass, my heels digging into the back of his thighs as he thrust harder and my screams grew louder. I slammed my head against the hard tile wall as another one hit, with more power as shockwaves passed through my body. I began to lose feeling in my legs as the pleasure took over and just when I thought I could no longer take the pain he thrust one last time, groaned and let his head fall on my shoulder. Luckily, he was still holding onto me as my legs gave way and limply fell in exhaustion. He slowly lowered me to the floor of the shower until I was sitting on the tile floor. This wasn’t the first time he had created multiple sensations of pain and pleasure, but it was the first time it all happened in what had to be under two minutes.   
Turning off the shower, Mulder joined me on the floor of the shower, crossing his legs and taking my hand in his as we just sat there watching the water run down the glass doors.  
“So…” he said before clearing his throat, “Did you decide on what do you want to do today?”  
“Kick your ass in Scrabble.”  
“Challenge accepted.”  
Fiji is known as the home of happiness and as we sat at the cliff top dining table with the game board between us, me in a sheer jade green sundress and Mulder wearing only red swim trunks, I took a sip of my second glass of wine and stared down at my letters.

UUOVAHO  
On the triple word under his previously placed THAW I spelled out OVA. Giving my score a thirty-six-point lead, and my heart a quick stab.  
“Do you ever think about it?” I said taking three new wood tiles from the pile and placing them on the holder – EOX – not much I could do with those.  
“I think about a lot of stuff.” He replied as he shifted his tiles on the holder, “What are you referring to?”  
“Did you even look at the word?”  
Mulder took another glance at the board then sighed, deeply, “Well that was a good kick in the gut. Why’d you make that?”  
“The points.” I replied, “But maybe something else was telling me to. Do you think it could happen? Again, for us?”  
“Well, we’ve had a lot of test runs and…”  
“I know…I know..” I said needing much more than just another sip of wine, “But every now and then I wonder and then the tiles…but I’m older now anyway. Maybe that’s why…” I couldn’t finish my thought; it was just too painful to know I’d never have another chance of being a mother.  
“Maybe…” Mulder replied taking a sip of his own glass of merlot as he continued to play with his tiles.  
“You know there is a time limit.” I said getting frustrated with how long he was taking to make his move.  
“No there isn’t.”  
“My rules say there is.” I replied   
Mulder nodded, “Fine.”   
I watched as he placed the four tiles before the Y I had previously made with the word JOURNEY  
M  
A  
R  
R  
Y  
He leaned back and just looked at me.  
“Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked seeing that, aside from a double letter score on R, he had only made an eleven-point word.  
“Oh…” he said looking at his tiles and after picking up the wooden square he placed it under the M making and illegal move and forming the word ME.  
M A R R Y ME  
Staring right at …me.  
I blinked, then looked at him, “Are you sure you want to do that?”  
“More than anything.” He replied in not much more than a whisper.  
I wanted to say yes. Had he planned this? How did he have those exact tiles? Was he saving them? Well he did make such words as Is and We, which was why I had such a high lead, but as the wooden game tiles asked a question I really wasn’t prepared to answer, all I could do was shake my head.  
“You know I love you…” I said unable to look at him.  
The loud sigh was palpable as he picked up his glass, “Just say no and get it over with.”  
“I’m not saying no.” I replied now needing to look at him as he finished off his merlot, “I’m saying not now.”  
“I’m not saying we have to do it today or tomorrow. I just want to know, want to hope, that one day you will.”  
“I will…” I replied, “When we know the time is right.”  
“How will we know the time is right?” He asked, placing the empty glass on the table.  
I looked down at the tiles and the three letter thirty-six-point word staring back at me. “We will; I just know we will.”  
Mulder sat up and removed the illegal tile from the board and placed it back on his holder before grabbing four new ones, “I guess I just have to believe.”  
The game ended by noon. The score was 281 to 52 and as I picked up the board to slide all the tiles back into the burgundy box, I watched as the MARRY tiles hit the OVA tiles on their way down the board and then mixed in with all the others before folding the board and placing it on top of them.   
After putting the game away, I returned to the outside patio where Mulder was staring out ahead with his arms crossed over his bare chest. I stood next to him as he seemed to be focused on the small mountains on the other side of the crisp blue water.  
“That’s Nanua Lei Lei” He said pointing at the mountains, “About two miles away.”  
I knew he was trying to change the subject, but I wouldn’t let him. I couldn’t let him, “You didn’t plan this trip to ask me that question, did you?”  
He nodded, “I did.”  
Closing my eyes, I sighed and shook my head, “Why…”  
“I guess I thought with everything that happened last month, that the timing was right now. That we had survived the worst, came out unscathed and could start a new chapter.” He said now looking down at me, “I guess I’m the only one who felt that.”  
I wasn’t afraid of marriage. My parents were married for over thirty years before my father passed away. Bill and Tara were doing great, and I had plenty of happily married friends – even if I hadn’t talked to them in years, I had to assume…but there was a part of me that just wasn’t ready. We had been living together for six years and I didn’t believe marriage would change anything, but there was just a part me of that just didn’t feel it. Didn’t want to make that final step. I just wish I knew why.  
“But with everything we already have what does being married change?” I had to honestly ask him, hoping that maybe his answer would be what I needed to hear to explain my unknown reasons of doubt.  
“Because it’s final. It’s telling the world this is the person I chose to be with for the rest of my life. For better or worse this is the only person for me.”  
“But I’ve already made that choice.”  
“But not legally. Nothing matters until it’s legal.” He shook his head and looked back at the other island, “I tanked a game just to have my heart broken.”  
“Sadly, one doesn’t get Scrabble points for creativity.” I had to smile even though I could feel his pain, “I’m sorry.”  
“Me too.” He looked down at the sand below, “I didn’t mean to ruin your birthday. I honestly thought you’d say yes.”  
“I will.” I said turning and placing my hands on his arms while looking up at him, “But making it legal doesn’t change what we already have and nothing will change that. You’ve got to believe me. Having a license and a ring on my finger doesn’t mean you can stop being afraid I will just vanish one day. You have to believe, to trust, that I’m here because I want to be. Not because I have to be.”  
Mulder nodded and looked back up at the islands before him, “You can rent a boat and sail to the other islands. Find a remote area and just watch the sun set.”  
“I’d like that.” I replied.  
“Good.” He said un-crossing his arms, as I removed my grasp, “I’ll arrange it.”  
I followed him back into the room as he grabbed his wallet out of his pants pocket, “What should I wear?”  
“Whatever you want.” He said tossing the jeans back onto the couch, but not looking at me.  
I continued to watch him as he grabbed the keys to the room off the table and still didn’t look back at me, “Mulder…” I said as his hand was on the door handle.  
“Yeah?” He said now actually acknowledging me.  
I still wanted to say yes, but I also knew now too much had happened and I couldn’t. Now it wouldn’t sound genuine and would feel forced, so instead I just went with my gut. With my heart, “I love you.”  
Mulder nodded and turned the handle, “I love you too.” He said before walking out, the door slamming behind him.  
We had a late lunch at three, and waited an hour before walking to the beach to pick up the boat. I expected a sail boat, speedboat or a catamaran, but what we were presented with was an actual old school row boat with two oars in the middle. Wearing my black bikini and white sheer coverup, I watched as Mulder pushed the boat to the water starting to wonder if he was honestly going to leave without me.  
“Are you coming?” He asked, not in annoying tone, but of concern.  
Nodding, I took my sandals off and stepped into the boat, sitting in the back and now a little fearful he would just push me out to sea.  
Maybe I had watched one too many true crime movies.  
Or maybe I had experienced one too many true crime events.  
At least I was a good swimmer.  
My fears subsided once the boat was off the sand and he stepped in, sitting in the middle seat with the oars and facing me as he grabbed hold of each and began to row. Watching his arms move in circles, his biceps flexing, I felt what I was feeling before I stepped into that shower, but also knew this was not the time or the place.  
We arrived at the other island in under an hour, and Mulder didn’t even look tired. I stepped out of the boat as he pulled it onto the beach just enough to prevent the tide from taking it back out and took my hand before leading me a good ten feet from the boat and sitting down on the beach, pulling me down with him. My feet dug deeper into the sand as the water came over them watching as the sky turned pink and purple the closer we got to sunset.  
“Can you get back in the dark?” I asked Mulder as he wiped sand off his red shorts.  
“There’s plenty of light from Turtle Island.” He replied referencing the island where we had spent the last week; mostly in bed. There were seven other couples staying on the island and we had only met them at dinner, but it’s not like we were going to become best friends with them anyway.  
It had been a long time since I just sat and waited for a something as simple as a sunset, but as I rested my head on Mulder’s shoulder and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him it just felt right.  
“Maybe when we’re eighty.” I said, “Maybe then…”  
I didn’t have to finish my thought, I just felt his head nod before he rested it against mine. “I can wait.”  
I didn’t know where I would be in ten years, or even twenty, but for better or worse, I knew this was the only person for me.


End file.
